Human beings have the tendency of questioning their own existence. We tend to question the purpose of our lives. Why were we created? For what were we born? Is there a greater purpose to be fulfilled with my life? Those are some questions that come to our minds during our time here on Earth. Some people get to that point in their lives in which they find no purpose for their existence anymore. They see no reason to continue existing.
Most of us want to find that greater meaning for our lives. We want to have that assurance that we are somehow making the difference, here, on Earth. Most of us want to find a cause worthy of fighting for during our lifetime. Something greater than us. Something meaningful. Our lives cannot just be about growing up, finding a job, reproducing and dying. Is there something else? Can we create our own meaning for our lives? Or is it something that we are born with?
I am here to tell you that you were, indeed, born for a purpose. Your life is full of meaning. Someone designed you with a certain set of skills and abilities for you to fulfill something greater than yourself. And that someone is God! Sometimes, we want to put the meaning of our lives in temporary things, such as our jobs, building a career or having a relationship. And, although those are all good things to be obtained, if they are the ultimate focus of our lives, we run the risk of getting lost if something unexpected happens along the way. If you lose your job, if your career does not succeed the way you were hoping, if you never get married, you will feel frustrated. If those are the purposes of your life, if they do not succeed, you will feel like your life lost its meaning. You will feel like a loser, a failure.
However, there is God! And He created you to be successful. He created you to have a meaningful life, an enjoyable life. He created you to make a difference on Earth and to be a blessing for others with your existence. I know that, if you are reading about that for the first time, you may think that this is weird. You may even think I am delusional when I say that. You are right! I surely do not know anything about your life, and, maybe, you are putting so much effort in building a successful and remarkable career right now. However let me tell you something: even though building a successful career is amazing, it is indescribable when you have complete assurance about the purpose of your life. I am safely telling you that because I have already been in that position. Let me briefly tell you my story.
I was raised to have a career. Since my high school, I started to plan all my steps, in order to build a successful career. During my time in college, I was sure that I wanted to be a university professor, a researcher. So, I did everything possible to achieve that goal. I got accepted in research groups, wrote articles, and presented them in conferences. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I started my master’s. I was getting there. I was succeeding, step by step, working hard, sleeping late, researching, writing and trying to come up with something original. Something that would put me in the limelight of the academic world. I will spare you the details, but, after my master’s, I decided to stop! I realized that there was something else I was not getting from that life. Although I thought I was living the life I was supposed to live, although I thought I was fulfilling the purpose of my life, there was more! There was something I was missing. I was forgetting something.
I realized I was working hard trying to build my career, but in fact, I was putting too much effort trying to find my path by myself. I was not being entirely successful, because I was trying to guide my own life. After realizing that, I completely stopped what I was doing, in order to reset myself. I wanted to find the true meaning of my life. That purpose that was greater than myself. During that, let’s say “sabbatical year”, I have got more connected to God. And, through His guidance, I discovered my life’s true meaning. I discovered that real purpose and, most importantly, I discovered that drive that would make me want to fulfill that purpose. That drive showed me that my life would not have any meaning if I did not follow that purpose. I have discovered a much better kind of life, a much more enjoyable life. A life worthy living.
God created human beings to have a relationship with Him. Man was created to communicate in a divine manner with God, His Creator. He would rule over the Earth through a Godly inspiration; his actions would be inspired by God through that communication. That relationship would consist in God understanding the desires of man, and man understanding the heart of God. In the book of Genesis, chapter 2, the Bible says that God breathed His own life inside of man. That way, we can see that there was something divine in this creation.
When we get to know God more closely, we start discovering a life full of meaning. His meaning. We discover that we are important, because we are unique. God created each one of us with specific details, with a specific personality and with specific abilities. Each one of us was beautifully designed to fulfill specific purposes. And, when we decide to live for that purpose, we find the necessary strength within us, given by God, for that mission. We cannot regret having a true relationship with God, because, through that relationship, we find everything we need to face life and to face adversity. A life with God and for God is a life worthy living.
I am not saying that we were all created to become priests, living in a temple. I am saying that all of us were created to worship God with our lives, with our actions, with our feelings and thoughts. And, when we are connected to God, we are worshiping Him by letting Him guide our lives. Maybe you were created to be a successful lawyer, a businessman, a researcher, a university professor, an elementary teacher, a housewife, a preacher, a pastor, a missionary in another country… God knows the reason why you were created. And you were created to inspire others through the life of God within you.
The Bible talks about this in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 13 and 14: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven“.
Another Bible version says the same verses in a more understandable and clear way: “Let me tell you why you are here. You are here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You have lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here is another way to put it: You are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We are going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you do not think I am going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I am putting you on a light stand. Now that I have put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!“
You were put on this Earth to bring out the colors of God in the world. You were made for an amazing purpose! And God wants the light of your life to shine bright. Your life is full of meaning and you let yourself be inspired and guided by God. Through the inspiration of God within you, you were created to inspire others. Do never let yourself think you are worthless or that your life is meaningless. You were made for something unique. And, when we search that purpose in God, we find joy and strength. We find an accomplished life, with nothing lacking.